To Half Price Books, Magazines, Records, Incorporated; Gordon Commercial Real Estate Brokerage, and the Berkeley Land Use, Housing, and Economic Development Committee:

We, members of the Berkeley community, petition you to prevent the closure of the Downtown Berkeley Half Price Books.

Half Price Books is a beloved community institution that enriches the cultural and economic life of our city. Although it is a branch of a nationwide chain, students and residents have embraced it as an important part of our lives for two decades—we buy books for class, gifts for our friends and family, pop in when we travel by BART, and more. This location of Half Price Books has managed to withstand the forces that have gutted the downtown business district in recent years, including the pandemic, testifying to the special role it plays in our community. Since its planned closure due to a lease dispute was announced on July 3, 2025, hundreds of community members have expressed their dismay on social media and online forums, sharing their fond memories of the store and frustration over the current state of downtown Berkeley.

Half Price Books provides a vital public service deeply connected to Berkeley's identity and history as an intellectual community, especially after the recent shuttering of Eastwind Books, University Press Books, and Books Inc. It enables access to cultural enrichment through affordable books, films, and music, which is vital at a time when public funds for the arts are being cut and the cost of living remains sky-high.

The people of Berkeley do not want to see yet another beloved, thriving local business transform into a vacant downtown storefront because of a lease-related dispute. We ask that the stakeholders in this dispute consider the damage to the public good that would result from this store's closure and redouble their efforts to come to an agreement.

Respectfully,

Members of the Berkeley Community